Biographical Information

Most Reverend Raymond A. Lucker, S.T.D.

Second Bishop of the Diocese of New Ulm

Pastoral
1952-1958	Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Assistant Director (Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis);
1957-1968	Professor of Catechetics at St. Paul Seminary in 1957; taught until 1968;
1958-1969	Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Director (Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis);
1966-1969	Superintendent of Education (Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis);
1969-1971	Director of the Department of Education, USCC, Washington, D.C.;
1971-1974	Pastor, St. Austin's Parish, Minneapolis, Minnesota;
1974-1976	Pastor, Church of the Assumption, St. Paul, Minnesota;
12-23-1975	Appointed Bishop of New Ulm, Minnesota.
02-19-1976	Installed as Bishop of New Ulm, Minnesota.
11-17-2000	Retired as Bishop of New Ulm, Minnesota.

Publications

Authored:

Aims of Religious Education (Catholic Book Agency, 1966).
Some Presuppositions of Released Time (University of Michigan, 1969).
My Experience: Reflections on Pastoring(Sheed and Ward, 1988).
Prairie Views: Twenty-five Years of Pastoral Letters (Raymond A. Lucker, 2000)
The Pastoral Letters of Biship Thomas Langdon Grace: Bishop of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul 1859-1884 (Raymond A. Lucker, publication pending)

The Pastoral Letters of Bishop Thomas Langdon Grace (self-published, 2001).

Contributed chapters to:

Edited:

Awards and Honorary Degrees

• F. Sadlier Dinger Award, 1989.
• National Conference of Diocesan Directors of Religious Education (NCDD) Catechetical Award, April 1991.
• Outstanding National Leader in Catechetics, June 1, 1992
• Doctor of Humane Letters (honoris causae) from the College of St. Catherine, May 23, 1993.
• Recipient of the Pilgrimage of Faith Award presented by the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) in recognition of his support and pastoral concern for the poor at the Catholic mission sites around the world, November 1996.
• Honorary Tribute from Catholic Theological Society of America, June 2001
• Ambassador of Peace Award, Pax Christi USA, July,7 2001

Professional History

He was a pioneer in the American catechetical renewal, helping the nationwide development of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine and the National Conference of Diocesan Directors. He was a delegate to the International Catechetical Congress in Rome in 1971, was elected by the Bishops of the United States as a delegate to the Synod in 1977 and as an alternate delegate to the Synod in 1987.

He participated actively in the annual diocesan director meetings from 1952 until the establishment of the National Conference of Diocesan Directors of Religious Education in 1966.

He was one of the founders of the Catechetical Forum, an association of catechetical writers, professors of catechetics, CCD directors and other catechetical leaders. He has been actively associated with renewal movements and a promoter of pastoral planning and lay involvement in the life and ministry of the Church.

Bishop Lucker was the first Bishop in the United States to appoint pastoral administrators as leaders of parishes in March, 1981.

A popular speaker, he has addressed hundreds of national and diocesan conventions, conferences and symposia on catechetics, evangelization, laity in Church and society, pastoral planning, and spiritual renewal.

He has earned two doctoral degrees; one in sacred theology (S.T.D.) and the other in education (Ph.D.). He continues active membership in the Catholic Theological Society of America, and has served on the National Conference of Catholic Bishops' Administrative Committee and the committees on Latin America, Evangelization, Diaconate, Laity, Catechetical Directory, and Charismatic Renewal.